Matternet tests longest drone delivery route between hospitals and labs in Switzerland

Matternet, one of the leading drone delivery companies, announced that it has started test operations on a three-mile BVLOS (beyond-visual-line-of-sight) route over the city of Zurich, Switzerland.

By doing this, Matternet connected hospitals and laboratories in Zurich, Switzerland, to create the longest urban drone delivery route ever.

The Triemli and Waid Hospitals, which are both a part of Stadspital Zürich, Zurich's municipal center hospital, will exchange diagnostic samples through the drone delivery route.

New test route will illustrate the possibility for more efficient patient care via the on-demand delivery of diagnostic samples and will serve as a prototype for expansion networks in Europe, the U.S., and beyond.

“Launching this new service for Stadspital Zürich is an important moment for Matternet, but also for the future of both health care and logistics services,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, founder and CEO of Matternet. “Leveraging the longest urban BVLOS route to transport biological samples for diagnostic testing on-demand changes the way that hospitals and hospital systems can approach patient care, all while creating new efficiencies that can improve patient experiences and ensure that they keep pace with the demands of the 21st century.”

About Matternet's longest drone delivery route

Transport between the two hospitals and their laboratory only takes seven minutes when using Matternet's delivery drones.

This experiment shows that drones have the ability to deliver essential packages quickly and on-demand without clogging Zurich roads or producing carbon dioxide.

Drones operated by Matternet operate independently under remote supervision via Matternet's Mission Control center in Zurich while transporting medicinal products with a secure end-to-end chain of custody.

Currently, hospitals send samples to labs for examination by ground transportation, which often results in massive influxes of tests received all at once rather than a constant flow throughout the day, which places a heavy load on lab employees.

Hospitals frequently use vehicle-based couriers for urgent, single-patient diagnostic testing, which may be slower and less effective.

In addition to helping on-demand e-commerce move into a sustainable means of transportation, Matternet is actively developing drone delivery networks that can meet critical logistical requirements in the healthcare industry.

Matternet recently gained Type Certification and a manufacturing certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its M2 drone, making it the first business in that nation to be given permission by the FAA to construct and operate its own commercial delivery drone.

“Switzerland has established itself as one of the most advanced Countries in the world for scaled drone delivery operations,” added Raptopoulos. “And this new route in Zurich – built on the foundation of five years of successful operations in Switzerland – will help us create insights into developing a citywide medical network that can become a template for similar networks in the Europe, the U.S., and beyond.”

Not too long ago, Greg and I had the chance to talk to Andreas about Matternet and the latest developments in the drone delivery industry on our PIXL Drone Show. You can watch that interview below.